


Forms of Family

by Jungle321jungle



Series: Dad!Deceit Things [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: All but Dee are kids, DaDee, Deceit is a dad, Dramedy, Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, I add tags as i go, Kid Fic, Kid!Patton, Kid!Roman, dad!deceit, kid!Logan, kid!Remus, kid!virgil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-27 07:58:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20042569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jungle321jungle/pseuds/Jungle321jungle
Summary: No one alive knows how Dee manages to raise five kids primarily on his own. He's not sure himself, but having some of the best kids in the world makes it a whole lot easier.





	1. Part One

**Part One**

“Oh my.”

Dee looked up from his shopping list to see a woman standing before him. He forced a smile on his face as he nodded to woman, “How are you Brenda?” He nodded towards the baby in her carriage. “And how is Liz today?”

“She’s doing fine as ever,” Brenda smiled down at her child. “And I um...”

“Hmm?”

“I notice you have Virgil in his  _ pajamas _ .”

Dee nodded once, “I do.”

“But it’s the middle of the day.”

“I’m aware.”

“But I read that babies should be-”

Dee gave her another forced smile, “Babies should be _comfortable_ and happy. He’s old enough to have an opinion and he enjoys his pajamas. Some kids love a blanket or a bear, V here loves his pajama shirt. I have errands to run and four other kids to take care of. When you have more than your  _ one _ , then maybe- but I highly doubt it- but maybe I’ll take your parenting advice.” He took in her shocked face as he began to walk away. “Now, which way was the cereal?”

  
  


There were many things which annoyed and angered Damien Elias Ekans. Many of those things surfaced as a result of acting as a single parent the majority of the time, due to his husband traveling for work. But the things which caused him the most strife were without a doubt, other parents. 

Whether it be Brenda who after having her first baby suddenly was the expert on all things children and criticized him for putting the “wrong” shirt on Virgil. Or Lena who always sent son Tyler to school when he was sick allowing him to become walking Petri dish who somehow always managed to get Patton sick too. Or Margret, Kaleigh, and Marcus, who seemed to think their children were perfect gifts that and could never do anything as cruel as pick on Logan. And of course he couldn’t forget Carrie Ann who always packed nuts for her daughter to bring to school as if the twins weren’t allergic, and as if there wasn’t a rule against it.

He  _ really _ didn’t like other parents. 

~~~~

“How do you do it?”

Dee looked up from where he was finishing dinner to look at Miranda, “Do what?”

“Manage five kids on your own, I struggle with the one.”

Dee chuckled and continued what he was doing, “Quite frankly I don’t know how. Logan certainly keeps me on track though. I gave him the super special job of being ‘King of the Calendar’. Well until I changed it to ‘Curator of the Calendar’ because Roman wanted to be a king, and Logan wanted to use a word of the day.”

She gave a chuckle before her phone went off, “Ah and that’s my cue.”

“Work?” He guessed. 

“Work,” she sighed. 

“Must be  _ terrible _ being such a good doctor.”

She rolled her eyes, “Do you mind if Ash stays here while I’m gone?”

“Course not. There’s a reason I have an extra bed in that room.”

“Thanks. I’ll buy you a drink when you finally get free time.”

“You’re up to eight drinks now.”

“What is there interest?”

“Course. 

“Whatever, I’m gonna go tell her bye then head out.” 

“Can you send them all down actually? By the time they get down here I’ll have dinner ready.”

“Will do.”

Ashley staying over wasn’t something unusual. The girl and her mother lived two houses down and with her mother’s sprodiac hours and her father traveling she stayed over a lot. But what was unusual was dinner being interrupted by loud banging on his door. 

Dee jolted in surprise as he rose from the table and made his way to the front door as the banging came again. 

“I get it!” He shouted back before he opened it and frowned at Leah on the other side. “What?”

“Your sons!” She started loudly. “Why would you ever reach your boys that it’s okay to push a little girl?” She yelled. 

Dee paused to take in her angered appearance and her daughter standing behind her. He forced his tone to be calm, “Someone pushed her?”

“Don’t sound stupid! One of your unruly twins! I want them  _ both _ to apologize!”

“Roman! Remus!”

He could hear the scrambling as his children tried to pretend like they weren’t eavesdropping before the twins entered.

“Did one of you push Rebecca?”

“I did,” Remus answered crossing his arms. “And I’ll push her again.”

“Ha! He even admits it!” Leah proclaimed seemingly satisfied. 

Dee gave a sigh as he bent down to look his son in the eye, “Why did you it?”

“What’s it matter?”

Dee meanwhile gave Remus a nod, “Well?”

“She made fun of Roman’s skirt!” Remus told him. “She said he’s a sissy ‘cause he wears it so I pushed her in the mud.”

“He is a sissy,” Rebecca commented unhelpfully.

“Am not!” Roman yelled back. 

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Roman you’re not a sissy,” Dee interrupted standing. “Rebecca it’s not okay to call Roman one just because he has the skirt you wanted. And Remus it’s not okay to push. Everyone understand?”

“Yes Dad.”

“Yes Mr. Dee.”

“I didn’t ask you to discipline my child,” Leah told him icily. 

Dee put a hand on the door ready to close it, “Well someone clearly needed to. Jealousy isn’t a reason to be rude. I would think _you’d_ be best at teaching that.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re excused, we do have dinner to finish. Good night.”

He closed the door before she could respond. 

“Are you mad?” Remus asked after. 

Dee ruffled his son’s hair. “I’m only mad that dinner’s getting cold.”

~~~~

“Dad can I ask you something?”

Dee looked away from the TV to his son as Logan walked in. “That depends, is this a way to stall bedtime?”

Logan rolled his eyes as he came in the room and sat on the bed. “I’m not Roman or Remus.”

“Sorry, sorry. What’s up Logan?”

“Do you know when Dad’s coming home?”

Dee paused in thought, “I‘m not sure, he told me but I can’t remember... Why? Need him?”

“Yeah...”

“Is there something I can help with?”

Logan shook his head and looked away, “No.”

Dee held back a few questions as he took in his son’s disappointed face. So against his better judgement he reached for his phone, “Well I think he might be out of his meeting... Want to try to call?”

Logan took the phone eagerly, Dee let him be and waited as Logan put the phone to his ear.

“Hi Dad!” Logan said suddenly, gaining surprise from Dee. As much as he hoped the call was answered, he didn’t expect it to be. “I- no it’s Logan... I wanted to ask you something... I said I’m Logan and- ... Okay, sorry... Yeah, I can do that... okay, night... Love you...”

Dee gave a sigh, “Meeting still going on?”

Logan nodded and handed back the phone. 

“Sorry Lo. Why don’t you try to call him again tomorrow after your field trip?”

“He’s always in a meeting,” Logan complained getting up and walking out into the hall. “Night.”

“Logan wait. I-”

“Virgil climbed out of his crib,” Logan interrupted walking out. “I’ll put him back.”

Dee gave a sigh, the conversation would have to wait, “Night Logan.”

~~~~

“Mr. Ekans, come in, come in.”

Dee entered the teacher’s classroom adjusting Virgil on his hip as he did. “Is everything alright with Patton?”

The teacher nodded, “Yes, I actually have the opposite issue with Patton than most kids.”

Dee frowned as he sat and set Virgil on his lap where he began to grab at things on the desk. “What’s the issue?”

“Most kids won’t share, Patton meanwhile shares so much so I worry that other kids are taking advantage of him.”

Dee paused, that’s not what he had been expecting to be called in about. “Patton shares his toys so much other kids just take it from him?”

“More or less? I’ve also noticed him being talked out of his snack.”

“So... what do you suggest I do? Tell my five year old not to be nice? Shouldn’t you be talking to parents of kids who are using him?”

“Oh I intend to,” she said quickly. “I just wanted you to know.”

“Well uh thank you, I guess.”

  
  


Dee was running through possible conversations in his head as he got Patton in his car seat. 

“Is Ashley staying over?” Patton asked him. 

Dee shook his head, “No, it’s just family tonight.”

“Why were you talking to Ms. Siena?”

Here it was the question he was dreading. How would he warn his son about people?

Thankfully it was delayed by the sound of Virgil babbling about something which drew Patton’s attention. 

“But why, Daddy?”

It wasn’t a long enough delay. 

“She was telling me that you’re a good sharer,” Dee answered. He glanced in the mirror to see his son smile, before he continued. “But I need you to know Patt, that you don’t have to give away _all_ your snack. You need to eat too.”

“But I wasn’t hungry.”

“Well- uh when you are. Okay?”

“Okay.”

~~~~

“Thanks for helping me with the kitchen Logan,” Dee told his oldest putting the last of the dishes away. “Can you just wipe down the table for me?”

“Okay.”

“You okay? You were pretty quiet all dinner?”

“Fine.”

“Is this about your Dad not calling back?” Dee guessed after a short pause. When he saw Logan stiffen he gave a sigh, “Lo, I’m sorry. I’m sure he meant to. It’s just work is-”

“You don’t have to lie to me anymore.”

Dee froze and gave a hard swallow, “What do you mean?”

Logan kept his gaze on the table as he cleaned, “About him being at work.”

“I’m not lying,” Dee responded- his words more delayed than they should’ve been. 

“I’m not mad you are,” Logan continued. “It must be easier than trying to explain that Dad is with someone else.”

“How...?”

“The field trip. When we were leaving the museum I saw him across the street. I was gonna call to him but then I noticed who he was with.”

Anger, sadness, frustration, and confusion filled their way within Dee’s chest. 

“You said he was across the country. But he’s right in the city... At first I thought maybe you didn’t know. But then I remembered how you never try to call him unless one of us suggests it. So you know and you lied, because you’re not sure how to explain it to us.”

Dee grit his teeth as he tears pricked at his eyes- he wouldn’t let them fall- he wouldn't let his son see. “You’re too smart,” he said finally. 

Logan gave a shrug, “Do you think he’ll finally talk to me if I tell him I know?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “When he left I assumed he’d come back for you guys- that was almost three weeks ago.”

Logan turned around and faced him with a look that screamed how mature he was. His arms slid around Dee’s waist and Dee instantly hugged him back. 

“If it means anything, I always preferred you to him,” Logan commented. 

Dee couldn’t help but laugh, he was going to reply when the distinct sound of Virgil’s cry sounded from upstairs. Instead he gave a sigh as he pulled away from the hug. 

“I won’t tell anyone,” Logan promised. 

Dee couldn’t help but smile as he ruffled Logan’s hair- knowing the boy didn’t like it. “You’re too good to me Lo.”

“I know.”


	2. Part Two

**Two**

“How you feeling, Patt?”

Patton gave a yawn as he took Dee’s hand, “I wanna stay and play.”

“Not when you have a fever mister. We’re gonna head home and hang out. Just you me and Virgil. Then you can come back to school when you’re feeling better okay?”

The boy gave a sniffle, “Okay.”

“Yours too?” 

Dee turned away from Patton to see Laura with her son beside her. He gave the woman a nod, “One gets sick the whole class is sick... And Tyler is always ground zero.”

“I will never understand why she sends him to school sick.”

“Misery needs company?”

“I guess. Hey at least you’re a stay at home dad, you can watch him. I had to take off work.”

  


Dee had never planned to be a stay at home dad. It was never his want nor goal in life. But when kids came along- and so many of them- he had left his job as a car salesman to care for his children. It had been a decent job, one he enjoyed more than he thought he would honestly considering he had initially applied on a whim. It had supported him well, it was enjoyable, it was how he met his husband... And now he could only hope that after all these years they’d take him back. 

Or that he could get a job elsewhere at least, as he needed one soon. Thankfully he hadn’t been cut off, yet. He still had access to the joint bank accounts and such, but he knew he shouldn’t rely on it. Not when he couldn’t rely on the man who put the money in it. So with Patton sleeping off his fever and Virgil playing quietly beside him, Dee pulled out his laptop and began to job search. 

~~~~

_ Logan knows that you’re not on a business trip _

He sent the text and set his phone down. It had been one he had been planning to send for a few days now, but-

His thoughts stopped in shock as his phone lit up with a reply.

**Why?**

Dee bit his tongue to keep from shouting in annoyance. He had been sending regular updates about the boys for weeks. Only to get no response. He had asked multiple times to try to work something out. And he never once received a reply. 

The only real “conversations” he got were when he would call and get a “hi” in before he’d hand off the phone to his sons. 

But now he replied so _ easily _. 

_ He saw you the other day with someone. He was downtown on a field trip. He figured the rest out _

**Oh**

_ He won’t tell the others _

**K**

_ Is that seriously all you’re gonna say? _

_ Really? _

_ Whatever. More importantly, Patton’s sick. _

**So? He’s always sick**

_ Did you seriously just say that? _

**You need to start doing things differently. **

_ Me? _

**Well clearly you did something wrong if the kids keep getting sick. I mean isn’t that half of what you text me?**

_ So you read my texts about your kids getting sick and you just don’t respond? And you think that’s okay? _

**I’m not wasting my time with this anymore**

_ Just come see your kids asshole _

He didn’t get a response. 

~~~~

“Dad guess what!”

“Guess! Guess! Guess!”

Dee gave the two boys an amused look, “What?”

“You’re not guessing!” Roman complained. 

Remus nodded, “You have the guess!”

“You both did well on your spelling test?” Dee tried. 

“Yes! But that’s not what you’re guessing!”

“Can I get a hint?”

“They got the leads in Peter Pan Junior,” Logan answered for them coming in the house. “They wouldn’t stop talking about it since I picked them up at the bus stop.”

Dee pulled his twins into a tight hug as they complained to Logan. “I’m so proud of you guys! Who’s who?”

“I’m gonna be Peter!” Roman told him. 

“And I’m Hook! But I wanted to be Peter,” Remus put in. 

“And I wanted to be Hook.”

“We’re gonna switch when no ones looking!”

“Remus you have white in your hair, Roman doesn’t,” Logan put in. 

“Shut it Logan!”

We can dye it!” Roman declared. 

Dee grimaced, “No dyeing hair. Just ask Mr. Sanders if you two can switch okay?”

“Okay.”

“Fine. Wait Dad! Let’s build a ship in the living room! We can practice!”

Dee shrugged, “Alright. But do you have any homework? That comes first. But once your done we can.”

  


The moment the homework was done the boys were tearing apart the couch to build the best pillow fort/pirate ship in history. Patton has woken up and his medicine had done its work, so he had decided to help but Dee knew the boy would be asleep again soon. Logan meanwhile sat nearby holding Virgil as he did his homework, but he did chime in a lot about how the “childish structure” could be more “structurally sound”.

Dee meanwhile occupied himself by taking pictures of all of them. But in his defense, these were the moments he truly lived for. 

~~~~

“Two years. I just need to wait two years.”

“What’s in two years?”

“Logan will be fourteen, and then twins will be ten. Aka I can leave Logan alone with the rest for a few hours or the evening and not wonder if someone is going to destroy my house.”

“You have heard of babysitters right? Or nannies?”

“But that means I need to pay someone.”

“If Logan did it you’d still give him pocket money as a thank you.”

“...That’s not the point.”

“I‘m finally giving in and getting a nanny,” Miranda told him. “You can always join me in the search.”

“So I’m no longer being paid in drinks to watch Ash for you?”

“Nope, but I’m serious.”

Dee gave a sigh, “It’s alright, I’ll manage without.”

“But won't you need one when you go back to work? You mentioned you were thinking about that right?”

Dee gave a sigh, “Yeah... It’s gonna be tough, I’ll need to put Virgil in daycare and Patton in afterschool. The other three take the bus, and Logan can wrangle the twins so they’ll be fine. I just won’t be able to leave Patton and Virgil with them.”

“How’s Patton anyway?”

“I thought he was doing better, and then he puked this morning.”

“Fun...”

“But really everything depends on my work schedule. That is if I can get a job.”

“You’re getting a job?” 

Dee turned confused to see as Logan walked in. “Oh right, you had a half day for something?”

Logan nodded, “Yeah, parent teacher conferences start today. You have to go to mine tomorrow remember?”

“I know, I know.”

“But you’re getting a job?” He asked again. 

“Maybe,” Dee sighed. 

“Did he take the money with him?”

Dee considered his son for a few moments before he decided to answer honestly. “No, but I don’t doubt that he might soon.”

“Are you getting a divorce?”

“I-I don’t know.”

Logan didn’t seem satisfied by the answer, but he didn’t push further as he began to walk away. “I’m going upstairs.”

Dee paused long enough to hand Virgil to Miranda before he followed after. “Logan?”

Logan said nothing as he made his way into his room and sat on his bed. 

Dee gave a sigh, “I need you to talk to me, Lo. What are you thinking?”

Logan gave a shrug, “It's just hard to believe that he doesn’t care about us anymore...”

Dee took a deep breath as he moved to sit beside Logan, “I’m sorry to put this all on you.”

“You didn’t do it, and even if you had a role at least you’re _ here _.”

“I told him that you know... do you want to try to call him? I’ll leave so it can just you two?”

“No.”

“Then what do you want- or need from me?”

“I don’t know.”

Dee was going to reply when a soft knock sounded on the door and Miranda entered holding Virgil, “Sorry to interrupt, but I think this little one may have a bit of a fever. He probably caught whatever Patton has.”

“Quarantine them in their room,” Logan frowned. “I can’t have the twins getting sick. We share a room and _ I _ don’t want to get sick.”

Dee rolled his eyes as he stood to take his baby. “Yes sir mister germaphobe sir.”

“Do you want a whole house of sick people?”

“I’m leaving, I’m leaving,” Dee chuckled moving to the door. “Just let me know if you figure it out Logan, okay?”

“Okay.”

~~~~

“You picked us up today?” Roman asked in surprise getting in the car. 

Dee nodded, “I did. I was at Logan’s parent teacher conference so I wasn’t far. Made sense to pick you guys up.”

“Did Lo get in trouble?” Remus asked. 

“No he didn’t, it’s like when I went to you guys’. I just met with his teachers to see how he’s doing in school. And he’s doing well in all his classes. So, how was school?”

“Good,” Roman answered at the same time Remus said,

“Fun, and Leo brought cake for his birthday.”

“It was strawberry though. I wanted chocolate.”

“Vanilla would’ve been better.”

“Maybe both?”

“Both.”

The boys talk amongst themselves for a minute or so before Roman directed a question to him. “Daddy, is Patton feeling better?”

Dee nodded, “He is. He should be good enough to play with you guys when we get home.”

“Can we have a movie night?” Remus asked. 

Dee shrugged, “Sure. Since it’s a Friday maybe you guys can even stay up a bit later.”

As the two cheered and began to bicker over which movie to watch Dee’s phone rang. He reached for it and frowned in worry as “Home” lit up his screen. 

“Hey Logan what's up?”

“Ms. Miranda got called in for work. She has to leave.”

Dee gave a sigh, “Tell her I’m... less than ten minutes away.”

“Okay.”

“Daddy?” Roman asked when Dee had hung up. 

“Hm?”

“We have a question.”

“Alright.”

There was a short pause and Dee glanced in the mirror to see as the two were looking at each other having a silent conversation, before both shouted at once. “We wanna do karate!”

Dee blinked in surprise, “Karate?”

“Yeah!” Remus nodded eagerly. “Can we?”

“Uh, what happened to soccer?”

“Soccer’s okay but karate is better.”

“Oh?”

“Princes need to able to fight dragons!” Roman put in. So we gotta learn to fight!”

Dee nodded slowly to process, “Well um I’ll have to think about it, okay?”

“Okay!”

The two shared a high five as Dee added it to his mental to do list. He’d also need to figure out if soccer was still worth it... He gave a mental sigh. That list would never end, would it?

~~~~~

“Logan don’t!”

“He’ll make us go to bed.”

“You both should be in bed anyway. And this is important.”

Dee cracked an eye open and slowly sat up surprised to find he must’ve fallen asleep on the couch. A blanket fell off his shoulders as he did so and he looked around to see his sons staring back at him. 

He looked at the clock and frowned, finding it was close to eleven pm. “You guys should be asleep,” he stated with a yawn. 

“Virgil’s worse,” Logan informed him. 

Dee stood worried and followed Logan to Patton and Virgil’s room. Logan clicked on the light and Dee could see Patton was still asleep- apparently he had put himself to bed- but Virgil was in his crib. 

He hurried over and touched his forehead and his heart sank as he felt how hot his forehead is. 

“I took his temperature,” Logan told him. “It’s one hundred.”

Dee let a curse slip out as he scooped up his baby. “Logan get Patton in a jacket and shoes. I’m going to get him in the car.” He turned to the twins standing by the door, “Get shoes on and one of you grab my keys.”

“Where are we going?” Remus asked slowly. 

Dee slung the baby bag over his shoulder as he headed out of the room, “To the hospital.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow was not expecting this response, thanks everyone!


	3. Part Three

**Part Three**

Dee’s nerves were shot. 

He had spent so much time- he didn’t even know how much anymore- talking to doctors who asked him the same questions so many times he wasn’t sure he knew the answer to them anymore. 

On top of big general worry over Virgil’s condition, Patton would sporadically start to cry out of worry (in any other situation Dee would find it adorable), the twins were antsy as they began to rough house with one another, and finally Logan paced insistently as he kept trying to call their father (using Dee’s phone) to no avail. 

Virgil was paler than he usually was, and his small chest heaved as he took short shallow breaths. His dark eyes were closed tightly, as if he was pain- and it only pained Dee more. 

“Daddy?” Dee looked away from Virgil at the sound of Patton’s voice as he looked up to see the doctor had returned. 

Patton climbed out his arms allowing him to stand slowly before he followed the doctor further away from the boys to speak. 

“Based on the tests run and what you explained to us we believe he has a virus most likely caught for your other son, which led to an infection.”

Dee nodded digesting the information, “So he’ll be okay?”

“He will, but we will need to stay here for possibly a few days so he can have antibiotics, and monitoring. I’ll have him transferred out of the ER and into a more permanent room in a different part of the hospital.”

Weight fell from Dee’s chest as he gave a sigh of relief. No he didn’t want to be there longer, but long as Virgil was going to be okay that’s what mattered. 

~~~~

Dee was thankful for his friends. 

Despite his telling them that things were fine Brenda, Miranda, and more had come to offer well wishes. They brought him a change of clothes from the house and activities for the boys to do, and they had even offered to let the boys sleep in their homes as Dee was rooted to the spot. 

Everyone was there to offer support. 

Everyone but his husband. 

“Daddy?” Patton asked pulling on his shirt. 

Dee nodded and stood up and after making sure the other boys were fine he headed out the room to the bathroom. 

He was gone for less than five minutes. 

_ Less than five minutes.  _

And yet when he got back what did he find?

Virgil crying, Logan holding back a kicking and screaming Roman, and Remus- Remus had sunk _his teeth_ into the nurses hand. 

Dee was frozen and shock for half a moment until he noticed the nurse’s hand rise up to strike. But Dee’s fingers curled around her wrist before she could dare. 

At his sudden appearance Remus released the woman and she wrenched her hand back. She tried to move back so Dee let her go. 

“Do everyone a favor and watch your kids,” she snapped. 

Dee held back a retort, he wasn’t going to piss off someone watching Virgil. “Remus apologize,  _ now _ .”

Remus looked smug, but he gave an apology anyways, “Sorry.”

She hurried from the room then leaving Dee alone with his sons. The first thing he did was take a breath before he picked up Virgil and bounced him a few times to get the baby to calm down a bit. When he had quieted slightly he turned the others, “What happened?”

Logan let go of Roman, who then took up post beside Remus before he spoke. “Vee was crying and Remus wanted to help, but  _ she _ came in and said we couldn’t touch him!”

“He’s our brother not hers!” Remus added in. “I know how to hold him! So she tried to pull me away, so I bit her! And she tried to hit me!”

“So I kicked her! Until Logan became a buzzkill!”

“She didn’t want you to touch him because it’s a matter of being sanitary,  _ not _ familial ties,” Logan explained. 

“So?”

“Yeah so?”

Dee gave a sigh, “You can’t bite people Remus. And I need you guys to listen to what the doctors and nurses say, alright? It’s what’s best for Virgil, okay?”

“Okay...”

“Fine... But if she’s mean to him, I’ll kick her again.”

Dee held back an eye roll (Logan didn’t), “Fine. Whatever, just sit and quiet down.”

“Fine parenting,” Logan muttered. 

“Logan, I’m not in the mood.”

“Noted.”

~~~~

It took two nurses, one doctor, and his friend Miranda to pull him away from the hospital room. But the furthest he would go is the first floor to get a coffee. 

“So glad I pried you from that room,” Miranda commented as they stepped out of the elevator onto their floor. 

Dee sipped at his coffee, “Yeah, the bad coffee is  _ totally _ worth it.”

She rolled her eyes and was quiet for a moment before she spoke, “Have you heard from...?”

Dee gave a sigh as his fingers involuntarily clenched and unclenched into fists. “No. I left half a million messages and sent twice that in texts... and I got nothing.”

Miranda paused in thought, before she stopped in her walk and turned to face him with a serious look. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but  _ personally _ I think you’re better off without him.”

“Miranda I-”

“I’m not going to overstep more than that. But if you are still set on trying to contact him, maybe you could try using someone else’s phone? He might have you blocked.”

Dee opened and closed his mouth unsure of how to proceed, but she nodded slowly. 

“If you need a phone feel free to use mine.” 

He watched as she pulled out the device and held it out to him, but he shook his head and turned. He couldn’t be blocked... right?

“We should head back,” were the only words he could force out as he turned to walk the way they had come. 

The walk back was silent, until he slid open the door and was greeted with the scene inside. 

“I win!”

The shout came from Roman and Remus playing some game on their iPad in the corner. Apparently Remus had won whatever it was. Beside them Logan was nose deep in a book while Patton lay on the floor with a coloring book. It was a scene so normal he almost wished he could pick the whole thing up and drop it in his house. That Virgil would be healthy and things could be back to normal. 

When he entered the room they all looked up at him, but he said nothing making his way back to Virgil. 

“When can V come home?” Patton asked him. 

Dee gave a sigh as he sat in his seat, “Hopefully soon Patt. Tomorrow or the day after.”

“That’s far away.”

“I know, but it’s to make sure Virgil is feeling his best, alright?”

“He needs to feel better faster then.”

Dee nodded, “I agree.”

~~~~

“Pacific.”

“Pacific. P-A-C-I-F-I-C. Pacific.”

“Paralysis.”

“Paralysis. P-A-R-A-L-Y-S-I-S. Paralysis. Come on give me something harder.”

“Fine, sorry, I thought we starting easy and building up. Um so... exasperation.”

“What’s the point?” Roman interjected. “Logan wins every year. He doesn’t need to practice. He’s the best speller! ...Er...”

“Speller. And why do you go to soccer practice then?” Logan asked him. “You guys won the last three games.”

“We don’t play soccer anymore,” Remus put in. “We’re gonna do karate.”

Dee sighed, “That’s not confirmed yet.”

“We can’t do karate?” Roman asked. God the kid sounded like Dee had done something terrible. He grimaced,

“I’m not saying that either. I need to look into some things first.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“It’s a  _ maybe _ .”

"Maybes are yeses!"

Dee gave a sigh as Logan frowned, “They are not. Do- do you know the definition of both words?”

“It’s not a yes right now,” Patton threw in. “He has to talk to  _ Dad _ first!”

Dee felt a pain in his chest as he gave the boy a smile, “E-exactly Patt.”

“What’s the next word again?” Logan asked changing the subject. 

Dee nodded thankful for it, “Um... we were on exasperation.”

“Exasperation. R-O-M-A-N-A-N-D-R-E-M-U-S. Exasperation.”

Dee just shook his head, “I need a nap.”

~~~~

When the name flashed on his screen Dee swore his heart stopped beating. 

His eyes flickered to his sons to find Logan watching him curiously. He gave a hard swallow as he grabbed his phone tightly and walked out into the hallway. The nothingness in his heart was suddenly replaced by a jackhammer as he finally answered the call. 

“Hello?” His voice shaky, quiet, and weaker than he wanted it to be. 

“You always take forever to pick up,” grunted the voice on the other side. 

“Virgil he-”

“Where’s your watch?”

Dee felt himself deflate, “What?”

“Where’s you watch?” He asked again. “The one I gave you on our honeymoon? I need it.”

“What? W-why?”

“Does it matter? Where is it?”

“I don’t know. But why-”

“Of course,” there was a banging and shuffling on the other side. “You fucking lose everything. I already checked your side table and the safe, do you have any ideas on where it could be?”

“Virgil is in the hospital,” Dee stated bluntly. “He has been for two nights now.”

“What does that have to do with a watch?”

Dee gave a laugh of disbelief as his anger began to rise, “Nothing at all. But he’s your son too, so shouldn’t that be where your concern lie? With your son? Or  _ with a fucking watch _ ?”

“...Don’t swear around the kids.”

“Oh _now_ you’re concerned?” Dee shouted. “You hate that I swear, but you can’t fucking come to the hospital see _your son?_ What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Don’t raise your-“

“Don’t! Don't you even  _ try _ to tell me what to do anymore. I’m done with you and all this bullshit. So listen up, you have two choices. You come here now and be with your children, or you get the fuck out of our lives and  _ never _ contact us again.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Yes I can! I’m done lying to the boys! I’m done lying to  _ myself! _ I gave you your choices. Come and be a father or get out of our lives.”

“Damien,” his voice was slow and angry, but Dee couldn’t bring himself to care. 

“What?”

“You are aware that I pay for everything right?”

“...I guess you made your choice.”

“That’s not what I said.”

“If your money is more important that your children then you made your choice. So feel free to take your money with you. I’ll keep  _ my  _ kids.”

“Damien I-”

Dee cut him off by hanging up the phone. He stared down at it for a moment before he took a deep breath to stop the tears burning at his eyes. 

“Dad?”

The soft call came from behind him and Dee turned to see Logan and the twins standing in the doorway. He opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out. He moved back into the room and sat in his chair before he felt small arms pull him into a hug. 

He lost his battle against the tears as he hugged Roman back. There was a short pause before the other three joined and Dee held his children tightly to his chest. 

“Daddy’s not coming back?” Patton asked quietly. 

Dee forced himself to take a deep breath as he pulled back enough to look them all in the eye. “Our family is going to be a bit different now,” he started slowly. “But it’s okay. There’s many forms of families, and now ours is just us. But it’s okay, we’ll be okay. Can you guys trust me on that?”

Logan nodded and adjusted his glasses, “One hundred percent.”

“Good, I’m gonna need your help Logan.”

“You needed my help even when he was around.”

Dee smiled ignoring the way his tears still fell, “Glad I can count on you.”

“We thought he wasn’t coming back anyway,” Roman admitted.

Remus nodded solemnly, “Dad’s never been gone this long... Does he really not care anymore?”

“I’m sorry,” Dee told them both. “I want to think he does, but I don’t know. But I’ll be here for you guys regardless okay?”

Dee looked to Patton and it pained him to find tears in the young boy’s eyes. He pulled him close mumbling apologies as he was unsure what else to do. But Patton held him back saying that he loved him. And that was good enough. 

Because even without  _ him _ , they were still a family. And while some could try to cause rifts and difficulties to break them up, Dee would always be there for them as their _father_\- as their _dad_ who asked for nothing in return. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Dee is a Dad trying his best, thank you for coming


End file.
